Convergence
by Voyager Tip
Summary: When the timelines of all Voyagers converge every two years, Phineas and Jeff have some unique experiences together and become even closer. Rated T for possibly upseting content toward the end.
1. The Evaluation

**The Evaluation**

Jeffrey Jones and Phineas Bogg landed at Voyager Headquarters.

"And another thing," Jeff said as soon as they had landed, "it's not fair that I have to wait while you kiss every girl under the sun." He stopped and looked around as they stood up. "Are we back at Headquarters?" he asked.

Bogg took out the omni. "The omni doesn't work, it looks like we could be," he answered.

"I'm not done yelling at you yet," Jeff told him, then changed his tone, "who brought us here this time?"

"I don't know."

The door opened and Professor Garth walked in. "Come with me Jeffrey," he said.

"Why?"

"Evaluation," was Garth's cryptic answer. Jeff looked uncertainly at Bogg, who nodded, so he allowed himself to be led into another room.

"You'll sit here and complete this evaluation as truthfully and completely as possible," Garth instructed him.

"Evaluation of what?"

"Of Voyager Bogg, of course. Surely he mentioned that you would be evaluating his performance somewhere along the way?" Garth asked.

"No, he didn't," Jeff replied. This was a totally unexpected situation. He was evaluating Bogg? It didn't seem right.

Suddenly he saw this as a great opportunity to finally expose all Bogg's faults. The hard landings, the women, everything. He pulled the envelope close to him and opened it. The more he thought about it, the angrier he became at Bogg. He remembered the time the mentalist had kissed him and stolen the omni, and then how he'd left Jeffrey in ancient Rome when Cleopatra kissed him. Bogg had definitely messed up big time in both of those instances, and each had put Jeffrey in danger too. He remembered how he'd let the pickpockets in London steal the omni, and the prosecutor at the witch trials had taken it right off his belt, too. Sure his hands had been chained, but he could and should have protected the omni. He had made some big mistakes.

"You're free to go," Garth's assistant said to Bogg after Jeffrey left.

"What am I supposed to do? How long will this evaluation take?" Bogg asked. The guard shrugged as Garth re-entered the room.

"Professor Garth, how long will this take?"

"Quite awhile I'm afraid. The form asks for examples illustrating every comment."

Bogg paused, this evaluation could be used to determine promotions, or discipline. He'd never been evaluated like this before, because no one had ever known him so well. He'd always worked alone. He hesitated, then spoke, "we just had an argument before we were brought here. In fact it was still going on after we landed."

"That is the nature of a partnership Voyager Bogg. The good comes with the bad," Garth answered.

"He's so young," Bogg wasn't sure where to go with that, after all, Jeff was old enough to voyage with him, he'd even voyaged alone once. He had also risked his own life to save Bogg too, he hesitated but was interrupted by Garth.

"Do you think your argument will affect the comments made by Mr. Jones?" Garth asked.

Bogg paused again, "no, I don't think so," he conceded.

"Then all you can do is wait. I suggest you check in and attend to any other business you might have."


	2. Thinking It Through

Chapter 2 **Thinking It Through**

Jeffrey read the first question aloud in a whisper. "To what extent do you feel your partner considers the welfare of innocent bystanders as he performs the tasks necessary to the resolution of the problem? Give examples." He was taken aback by the type of question being asked. He glanced at the rest of the questions. These weren't about hard landings, or girls, or anything like that. These were serious questions about Bogg's fulfillment of his duties as a Voyager. There was no way his anger toward Bogg could cause him to show Bogg as anything except what he was. And Jeff was sure he was the best Voyager there was. Suddenly he remembered Bogg throwing him the omni as he was being dragged away to a jail cell. That had to be a huge violation too, and he had done it without a moment's hesitation, because Jeff's life was in danger when he was trapped behind that wall of fire. That had left Bogg in a very dangerous situation, without his omni. Jeff hadn't fully appreciated that heroic act until now.

The clock on the wall chimed nine times, bringing Jeff out of his memories. He picked up the pen and leaned forward to write.


	3. There Are Kids Here

Chapter 3 **There Are Kids Here**

Three hours later Jeffrey put down the pen and stood up to stretch. He had completely lost track of the time. As if on cue, Garth entered.

"So, you're done then?" he asked.

Jeff nodded, "I'm starved, where can I get something to eat?"

Garth smiled, and motioned to his Aide who carried a tray of sandwiches in and put it on the table. "I thought I'd better feed you since you didn't seem likely to stop for food."

Jeff grabbed a sandwich and took a bite hungrily.

"I'm glad that you took this evaluation so seriously."

"It's pretty important huh?" Jeff said.

"Voyager Bogg's status as a Voyager will depend upon a combination of the omni's analysis, his own report and your evaluation."

"That doesn't seem very fair, I mean, what if a team finds out after a few voyages that they don't really like each other, or they just had a fight? How can you take my word for what happened?"

"It will be corroborated by the omni, and you don't necessarily have to like someone to evaluate them well," Garth answered.

"But the omni doesn't record everything," Jeff whispered.

"Well, no system of evaluation is perfect. But we try to do our best to determine if our field workers are performing adequately. Everyone's statement will be considered, including the one being evaluated.

Jeff nodded as he finished the sandwich. "Do you know where Bogg is?"

Garth shook his head.

Jeff left the room and glanced around, no one was in sight. He walked to the outer door and pushed it open. He spied Bogg, sitting on a bench staring out across the lake.

"Hey" he said as he approached.

Bogg looked up. "'Bout time, are you hungry?" he asked.

"No, they just fed me," Jeff answered. He sat down beside Bogg and they were silent for several seconds.

"Why didn't you ever tell me I'd have to evaluate you some day?" Jeff asked.

Bogg shrugged, "wouldn't have changed anything, would it?" Bogg answered.

Jeff shook his head, "no, but it wouldn't have been such a shock."

Bogg smiled, "as shocks go, I don't think this one was too bad." He stood up, "I got us a place to stay, we'll be here for a week, come on, I'll show you." And he began walking.

"Aren't you curious about what I wrote? I mean, I was yelling at you right before it started," Jeff asked as they walked along.

"I am a little curious, but I don't mind waiting until tomorrow."

"What's tomorrow?"

"My formal evaluation with Garth," Bogg said simply.

"But I was yelling at you right before .."

"I trust you, okay?" Bogg interrupted him. "I'm sure whatever you put down was the truth. Here we are."

"Thanks," Jeff said seriously, then turned his attention to where Bogg was pointing. "This is great!" he said excitedly as they entered the spacious apartment. The beach was just outside the door.

"I thought you'd like it," Bogg replied.

"Listen," Jeff began, "I'm sorry for getting so angry at you before, you know, before we were brought here."

"That's okay," Bogg replied.

Jeff took a deep breath. "Actually, it's not," he continued, "look, I just spent 3 hours reliving all of our voyages and realizing, well, that you're pretty amazing. I'm lucky to be with you." He paused, then continued, "and I realized something else, too."

"What's that?" Bogg asked.

"I've hardly ever heard you complain. After all we've been through, the rough landings, the hard beds, it seems impossible, but it's true. I'm always the one complaining."

"Well, complaining never solved anything," Bogg answered. "By the way, I think you're pretty amazing too."

"Hey, Bogg?" Jeff's voice was soft, as though he was focusing on something far away.

"What?" Bogg glanced at him, then followed his gaze out the window to the beach.

"There are kids here," Jeff finished, not moving his head.

Phineas noticed that Jeff was staring at a group of young girls and suddenly realized what might be going through Jeff's mind.

"Yeah, a few," he said, trying to keep a strait face.

"I wonder where they're going?" Jeff whispered as the group moved away.

"Well, tonight they'll probably be at supper at the Convergence."

"The what?"

"Convergence. It happens every two years. It's when Voyagers timelines converge for a week or so and we gather here to catch up with each other and learn anything new the Council wants us to know."

"Why didn't you ever tell me this Bogg, and who were those kids, are they Voyagers like me?" Jeff asked excitedly.

"Probably kids of other voyagers, I don't think there are any others like you."


	4. Tiffany

Chapter 4 **Tiffany**

They walked into the large dining area and Susan immediately approached them. "I heard you were back," she said.

Phineas shook his head, "you look great," he told her.

"Thanks," she said smiling shyly, "hi Jeffrey."

"Hi," Jeff paused, "listen, do you know who those kids were that I saw earlier on the beach?" he asked as he glanced around.

"Well, I know one of them," Susan answered, motioning a middle aged woman over to them. "Elaine, I'd like you to meet two good friends of mine, Phineas Bogg and Jeffrey Jones." Susan said, introducing them.

"Nice to meet you," they said and shook hands all around.

"And this is my daughter Tiffany," Elaine said as she ushered a young teenage girl into the circle.

"Phineas Bogg, nice to meet you," Phineas said shaking her extended hand.

Tiffany stared at him before murmuring, "nice to meet you," then she extended her hand to Jeffrey.

When Jeff didn't move, Phineas glanced down at him. He was staring at the girl like a deer caught in headlights, his mouth open. He nudged Jeff's shoulder and Jeff put out his hand and shook hers.

"I'm Jeffrey," he managed to croak out. She was the most beautiful girl he had ever seen. His stomach was doing flip-flops.

Suddenly Jeff realized they were seated and a meal was being served. Tiffany sat across from him. How in the world can I eat? He thought to himself.

Phineas sighed. His heart went out to Jeffrey, but he didn't really feel too surprised. It had to happen eventually, and on some level he was glad it had. He knew a lot more about dealing with girls than with grief. Yet, in a strange way he also felt a sense of loss.

"Phineas? Is that you?" he heard a familiar voice behind him and stood up. Jeff took his eyes off Tiffany long enough to watch him leave the table and hug the man warmly.

"Thomas, listen, there's someone I want you to meet," Phineas said excitedly, "come here Jeff."

Jeff stood up and approached them.

"So this is the kid, eh?" Thomas said, "you know we don't believe it, don't ya?"

"Don't believe what?" Bogg asked confused.

"Now don't try to tell me he's your partner, Phin, it's a great rumor, but I don't buy it."

Phineas paused and smiled, "I had trouble believing it myself at first Tom, but it's true. This is Jeffrey, Jeff, this is Thomas Paine. He's a good friend of mine. And Tom, Jeff really is my partner." He paused to let this sink in.

"But he can't be."

Bogg nodded, "he is."

Thomas stared at Jeffrey, extended his hand and they shook. As he let go, he spoke again, "Well, I don't know what you were, but you don't really expect me to believe that you're going to keep him as a partner when you leave here. He's a shrimp, look at the size of him, he can't be more than 12 years old."

Phineas' expression suddenly became more serious. "Listen Tom, he's my partner and I don't like you talking about him like that. He deserves the same respect you give me, or any of us. He's risked his life to save mine more than once, so if you've got a problem with it, get over it."

Tom's jaw dropped open. He stared at Phineas a minute more, then turned to Jeffrey, "sorry Jeff." He looked at Phineas again, "okay, I guess I can deal with it if you can," he finished and shook his head.

Jeff smiled to himself. It felt good to hear Bogg tell people that they were real partners. It was true without him saying it, but there was something about him telling others that made it seem different.

"How in the world does something like that happen?" Tom asked seriously.

Phineas and Jeff exchanged looks and shrugged.

"Well, a lot's happened, that's for sure," Jeff answered, then went back to staring at Tiffany, whom he noticed was staring at Bogg.

As he sat down, Jeff glanced back and forth from Bogg to Tiffany just to be sure. Tom had pulled up a chair and was talking to Bogg, Susan and Elaine, but Tiffany was definitely gaping at Bogg.

"Figures," Jeff whispered to himself as he began to push the food around on his plate with a fork.


	5. The Formal Evaluation

Chapter 5 **The Formal Evaluation**

The next morning, Phineas knocked on Chancellor Garth's office door and heard a strange voice ask him to enter. "I have an evaluation with Chancellor Garth," he said to the man seated at the desk.

"I'm Council Member Troy," said an older man as he stood and held out his hand to Phineas, "I'm your evaluator."

"What happened to Garth?"

"He excused himself from the case because he viewed your future during the trial. He felt any decision he made would be suspect due to that, so he asked me to do the evaluation." He pointed to the chair and Phineas sat down.

"Well, I've got to say this is the most unusual situation I've ever run across," Troy began. "Jeffrey must have quite a memory, he gave almost sixty explicit examples of behaviors we want to evaluate, as well as supplemental information."

Phineas smiled, "yeah, he does have a great memory, but there's a lot more to him than that."

"Did Werner von Braun really say he owed you a great personal debt?" Troy asked looking at Bogg.

Phineas smiled again, "Yeah, he did."

"Well, this is highly suspect because there are no negatives in it," Troy said eyeing Phineas.

"There aren't?" Bogg's tone was one of disbelief.

"Would you have expected there to be?" Troy asked.

"Of course, I'm definitely not perfect. The kid's always criticizing me for something."

"Yet your mission success rate is extremely high."

Phineas nodded, "that's true."

"The note here from Chancellor Garth says that Jeffrey didn't know he'd be doing this evaluation." Bogg shook his head. "So you never talked to him about balance? That some negatives are to be expected?"

"I never thought about it. Look, he's just a kid. Don't blame him."

"Well, your evaluation of yourself had enough negatives to compensate. It made for interesting reading."

Phineas shifted uncomfortably, "I was honest," he replied. He'd written about his failure to keep Jeff safe from the mad dog, and that he had lost possession of the omni several times.

"I don't see that we have a problem here. I'm giving you a 9.6 out of 10. Similar to your last review. How does that sound?"

Phineas smiled, "great." He leaned forward to sign the form. As he leaned back, he decided to bring up the topic he would have discussed with Garth. "Did you notice the application for adoption that I submitted yesterday?" he asked.

"Yes, I wondered if you were going to bring that up. I take it you've talked to Jeffrey about it?"

"Yes, not since we've been here, but it's come up a few times before. I wanted to see if it was possible while we're here this time, before I bring it up again."

"Yes, it's possible. You'll both have to be interviewed, and some of the questions might be a bit uncomfortable, but I think it could work."

"What do you mean, uncomfortable?" Phineas asked.

"They'll question your qualifications, which according to the documents I've seen, are non-existent."

Phineas paused, "I'm more qualified to take care of Jeff than anyone else." When there was no answer he continued, "well, can I talk to Jeff again, and let you know?"

"Any time," Troy stood up and held out his hand, "it was a pleasure to meet you," and Bogg knew the discussion was over.


	6. The Problem

Chapter 6 **The Problem**

When he got home, Jeff was seated near the window, staring out. Tiffany was outside on the beach again with some friends.

"Hi," Phineas said as he walked in, but got no response. He glanced out the window and saw the girls, "hey, Jeff?" he repeated smiling.

Jeff suddenly looked at him, "how was the evaluation?" he asked.

"Good, 9.6 out of 10. They would have preferred to see you write at least one negative thing though."

"No way," Jeff said adamantly. "So why not 10 out of 10?"

"My Self-Evaluation brought it down and the omni agreed with me."

"When did you fill that out?" Jeff asked.

"When you were evaluating me, I got us the apartment and did some other things."

"What did you say about yourself?" Jeff asked in surprise.

"Doesn't matter," Phineas answered with a tone of finality and Jeff knew he wasn't going to tell him. "She's pretty," he said motioning to the window.

Jeff looked down, "yeah," he said dejectedly.

"Why don't you go out and talk to her," Bogg encouraged.

"Are you kidding? You were there last night, I could barely say two words. She must think I'm an idiot. Anyway, she likes someone else."

"You're better than him," Bogg said immediately.

"You don't even know who it is."

"Don't have to, I know you," Bogg finished, but he could tell that Jeff was still miserable. "Listen, it wasn't so long ago that I didn't know what to say around girls, and you know what I learned?"

"What?"

"Just like anything else, the more you do it, the easier it gets. It just takes practice. And never forget this, whoever that guy is, you're a lot better than him."

"It doesn't matter," Jeff said dejectedly.

"Sure it does, you can't just sit here,"

"Stop it," Jeff yelled, "alright? Just stop it."

Phineas paused, "Jeff, talking is what you do best, as soon as you start talking to her, I'm sure..."

"It's you! okay? And I can't compete with you," Jeff's dejected voice rung in Phineas' ears.

An uncomfortable silence f i l l e d t h e v o i d b e t w e e n t h e m .


	7. Bogg's Solution

Chapter 7 **The Solution**

An awkward silence fell between them. Phineas' thoughts ground to a halt, then restarted. He had lost more than one friend over something like this. A few times he'd never even realized there was a problem until it was too late. How could this be happening with Jeff too?

"This will not come between us, do you understand me?" Phineas said forcefully. "I'm gonna make sure of that," and to Jeff's surprise, he went to the door and walked outside.

Through the window, Jeff saw him approach the girls and begin talking to them. How could this possibly help? The closer Tiffany got to Bogg, the more she would be drawn to him. Just like every other girl under the sun, he thought bitterly. He was surprised at the intensity of his feelings. He knew deep down that this wasn't really Bogg's fault, but he still felt miserable just the same. Finally, he saw the girls turn and walk away, and Bogg head back inside.

Phineas walked inside and Jeff turned to face him.

"What did you say?"

"I hope I convinced her and her friends that somebody younger would be better," Bogg explained. "When you want to influence young girls, make sure you include their friends. They care a real lot what their friends think. They all seemed to want to get away from me at the end."

"What did you say?" Jeff asked again.

"I just let it slip that I'm a lot older than I look."

"That's it?"

"And not to be upset if they see me take my teeth out to clean them, you know I have to do that a few times a day. When I started complaining about my arthritis is when they said they had to get going."

Jeff laughed, "you're kidding?"

Phineas shrugged and smiled, then grew serious, "nothing like this should ever come between us, don't let it."

"I won't," Jeff whispered. He suddenly felt a lot better.

"Good," Phineas said, "and here's some more advice, be tired."

"Huh?" Jeff asked.

"Exercise, run, swim, whatever, do anything to get really tired. Then when you talk to her, you'll have less energy to be nervous with."

"Really?"

"I spent time on the running track almost every day when I was at the Academy. Anything that tires you out or distracts you can work," Phineas paused.

"Thanks, Bogg, I'll think about it."

"Good, now if that's over, I've got another topic to discuss.


	8. The Adoption

Chapter 8 The Adoption

"Okay, what is it," Jeff asked.

"Well, you know how we've talked a few times about how we feel like a family? And the last time we even talked about me adopting you?" Phineas began.

"Yeah," Jeff said.

"Well, if you want to make it official, we can do it now, while we're here," Phineas finished and waited.

Jeff paused only a moment, "you still want to?"

"Of course I do. But the decision is yours."

"Definitely!" Jeff exclaimed and they moved to embrace. When they let go Jeff spoke, "wow! we've gotta tell Susan, and, well everybody!" He was clearly ecstatic.

"That's why this is such a good time," Phineas said. He continued when Jeff's expression showed that he didn't understand. "This is Convergence. Most everyone will be here, it'll be officially on record. Then, if we ever run into another voyager out in the field, they'll automatically know you're my son."

"Remember the first time you called me son?"

"Over Eddie what's his name, the pilot," Bogg said.

"Eddie Rickenbacker, yeah, and I went to introduce you and didn't even know your name," Jeff answered, filling in the gaps. "We sure have done a lot together since then."

"Yeah, so let's find Susan and share our news over lunch."

They had a great lunch with Susan, and then stopped back at Counselor Troy's office.

"I enjoyed reading your detailed report on Voyager Bogg," Troy told Jeffrey as he handed them the adoption form.

"You both need to sign this form and then answer questions at a hearing in front of the Tribunal. Paul Trainer is an attorney here and will serve as Jeff's advocate, if that's agreeable."

"I don't know him," Phineas said.

"That's best," Troy said.

"Okay."

"What's an advocate?" Jeff asked.

"An advocate is a person whose job is to see that your rights aren't violated. That you aren't being coerced into anything," Troy explained.

"But this is my decision, well, ours together really," Jeff told him.

"We have to follow the rules. You will meet with him alone, before the hearing. I'll send the paperwork over to his office."

"He made it sound like it was something bad," Jeff remarked when they were far enough away that he couldn't be heard. "I mean, come on, we've been voyaging together for over a year. Doesn't he have a clue?"

"He's a pencil pusher. We just have to do what he says," Phineas answered, but inwardly he hoped his answers would be good enough for the Tribunal, whatever their questions were.

"I hope this advocate isn't a creep," Jeff said.

"He's trying to help a kid get adopted, how bad could he be?" Bogg said reassuringly.

"Yeah, and Drake was trying to get rid of rotten Voyagers so history would think he was a hero," Jeff finished.

"Can't you ever look on the bright side of things first?" Bogg teased.

"It's enough that one of us does that," Jeff answered him, then smiled as Bogg rested his hand on Jeff's shoulder as they walked. "By the way, what the heck is that thing you wrote under Date of Birth on the form?"

"That's when I was born," Bogg answered.

"First full moon in Spring, 1610? That's not a birthday. Why won't you tell me your birthday?"

"Kid, that's all I know about it. In 1610, on the first full moon after the ground was thawed enough to plant in England."

Jeff looked at him sideways, "that's a pathetic birthday Bogg," he said.


	9. The Hearing

Chapter 9 **The Hearing**

The Tribunal did not wait long to schedule their hearing. Paul Trainer met with Jeffrey the next morning, and after talking with him for an hour, dropped him off to meet with a child psychologist. Three hours later they all met in the hearing room. The tables were set up as they would be for a trial, and Phineas remembered all to well how that had felt. This time, Phineas and Jeffrey were seated at opposite tables. As Phineas glanced around the room, he couldn't help feeling that this was like a set up for a mediation between enemies. He took a deep breath and felt Susan's hand on his arm. She sat beside him, for moral support she'd said. He hadn't wanted to hurt her feelings, but the only support he needed was wearing a red and white striped shirt and sitting way too far away at the moment.

The sound of the gavel quieted the room. "This is a hearing to approve the petition of Voyager Phineas Bogg for adoption of minor Jeffrey Jones. You may begin."

The advocate sitting beside Jeffrey, stood up and addressed the court. "Your honors, I have some questions for the petitioner."

Susan indicated to Bogg that he stand and approach the gateway in front of the Tribunal and address his answers to them.

"So, Voyager Bogg, how old are you?"

Jeff sat quietly, listening intently.

"27," Phineas answered instead of telling them that they had all his records and already knew how old he was.

"So you first met Jeffrey when you were 26?"

"Yes"

"Isn't it rare to take civilians on voyages?" Bogg nodded. "So why did you start taking Jeffrey on voyages with you then, instead of finding somewhere to leave him?"

"I thought he'd be better off with me," Bogg explained. He remembered saying the same thing at his trial not so long ago.

"What qualifies you to decide what's best for him?"

Bogg froze, "I guess I just felt it."

"You felt it?"

Bogg nodded, feeling all eyes on him. He forced himself to look at the members of the Tribunal.

"But why did this feeling weigh so heavily in your decision?"

"What do you mean?" Bogg started to panic and stalled for time

"Well, for example, do you have any formal training in child care? Or child psychology?"

"No" Bogg answered and he finally looked at Jeff, who nodded for encouragement.

"How about any informal training?"

"No"

"Any experience caring for children?"

"Well, I do like kids, .."

"Any experience?" he repeated.

"No," Phineas answered softly.

"Then what could possibly qualify you to raise a child?"

"It's not like that, I care about Jeffrey, doesn't that count for anything?" Phineas asked.

"Is he developing normally?"

"What?"

"What would be normal, developmentally that is, for a 12 year old boy?"

Bogg paused, unsure how to answer.

"You don't know, do you?" asked Trainer.

"No," Bogg whispered.

"You say you care about him, yet you don't have any idea whether or not he's developing normally?"

"It doesn't matter what's normal for the average kid!" Bogg yelled. "He's not the average kid! He's himself, he's a human being and all people need the same things!" Bogg stopped when he realized he had raised his voice.

Jeff stood up and went to stand beside Phineas. He glared at the Tribunal

"What do I have to say to make you think I'm a fit guardian for Jeff?" Bogg asked the Tribunal quietly.

"Think of a logical reason for them to grant your petition," Trainer answered.

"I don't trust anyone else to take care of him," Bogg said without thinking, "love isn't always logical."

They stood in silence.

"Is there anything else anyone would like to say?" one of the Tribunal members asked. There was an extended silence. "We will rule in 3 days, hearing adjourned," and Jeff heard the gavel fall again.

"Come on, let's get out of here," he said turning to Bogg.

"I don't think I made a very good impression," Bogg said as they walked out with Susan.

"I think you did fine. If I was on the Tribunal, you'd have my vote," Susan said. "I mean, come on, no normal parent has all that experience."

"Yeah Bogg, besides my interview went good, it'll be okay," Jeff said, and finally Phineas smiled. "It's nice to hear you looking on the bright side," he said.

The lights in the corridor dimmed, and came back with a yellowish tone as a soft whistle sounded from both Phineas' and Susan's omnis.

"What's going on?" Jeff asked.

"We can cut across the compound," Susan said and hurried to a door Jeff hadn't noticed in the wall of the hallway.

"A Voyager's in trouble," Phineas explained to Jeff as they jogged toward what Jeff knew was the Control Area.


	10. The Rescue team

Chapter 10 **The Rescue Team**

Jeff stood with them as other people gathered around. Slowly he realized that a fellow Voyager had been seriously injured on a mission, and a rescue / back-up team was being formed to resolve the problem. He heard someone say Germany, 1942, and felt a chill. He watched as 3 names appeared on a mission board, these were the members of the back-up team. Suddenly Bogg's name appeared on the list.

He felt Bogg's hand nudging him off to the side and saw him kneel down in front of him.

"Why do you have to go?" Jeff said, his voice shaking.

"It was a random selection, everyone who's here is placed in the pool if something like this happens," Phineas told him, "I'll be fine." He looked at Susan, who was standing close by, keeping an eye on them. "Take care of him for me?" he asked and she nodded.

"Of course."

Then Phineas turned back to Jeff. This was more dangerous than most missions. This Voyager was badly injured, in the middle of a war, and he knew Jeffrey knew that. Suddenly he felt choked up. Saying goodbye wasn't the same as it had been a year ago.

"Listen," Phineas began, "I want you to know that," he paused, "falling into your room was the best thing that ever happened to me. Okay?"

Jeff's lower lip quivered and his voice shook when he spoke, "if it was random, why can't they just pick someone else?"

"I couldn't live with myself if someone went in my place and something happened to them. Or if I didn't go and something bad happened. I know it's hard, it's hard for me too. Susan will take care of you, I trust her." He paused, "this isn't a suicide mission you know, I'll be back."

Jeff nodded and leaned forward wrapping his arms around him as tears spilled out of his eyes.

After several moments, they separated and Phineas wiped his own eyes and stood up. He smiled at Jeff, "I'll see you in a few days," he said. As he turned to leave he bumped into Tom.

"Let me go," Tom said grabbing his shoulders.

"No, this is mine," Bogg told him.

"But the kid!" Tom said.

"He's a Voyager, he knows," Bogg said and walked to the circular departure area and stood with the 2 other members of the team. He looked back at Jeff and half-smiled, then winked, and then he was gone.

Tom stared after him, then looked at Jeffrey. Susan's arm was around his shoulders.

"Thanks for offering to go," Jeff told him squaring his shoulders and looking him in the eye. "But he'd never let you go in his place."

"He always was an idiot that way," Tom whispered loud enough for Jeff to hear.

Jeff looked at him and decided he liked Thomas Paine.


	11. Distractions

Chapter 11 **Distractions**

Susan kept Jeffrey as busy as possible for the next four days. He attended school with the other kids during the day, and was also able to sit in on several classes in the Academy building with the actual Voyager Trainees. He'd asked to see the library, so she took him there for an hour each evening and was glad to see that it provided him with a distraction. Tiffany was also a distraction, and Susan was surprised to see that Jeffrey didn't seem particularly nervous around her any longer. When she mentioned it to him, he smiled and said the nervous half of his mind was thinking about Bogg. Susan realized this was probably the reason he'd seemed so quiet and wondered what Tiffany thought. She probably understood more about the situation than Susan at first thought, living with Voyagers all her life. She had been very kind to Jeff since Phineas had left.

Of course, Jeff had insisted on visiting the Control Area in the morning, afternoon and evening to see if there was any word on the mission. Susan accompanied him there 3 times a day.

He was able to glean a bit more information about the mission, but not very much. The original Voyager, Jack Simpson, was omnied back and was seriously hurt, but expected to live. However, something else was wrong with him, something in addition to his physical injuries. Jeffrey couldn't figure it out until one of the technicians let it slip that children were involved, and many had died. Jeff knew that had to be a very hard thing to witness. He hoped Bogg was okay.

The lights dimmed and turned a greenish hue and Jeff was on his feet before Susan's omni whistled.

"Is that a bad sign, or don't we know?' Jeff asked her from the door of the library as he waited for her to catch up with him.

"Generally green is good, they're probably back," she answered him and they made a bee-line for the Control Area.


	12. Bogg's Return

Chapter 12 **Bogg's Return**

Jeffrey paced back and forth in the Control Area waiting room. The team had been back for almost an hour, yet no one was allowed to see them, and they'd had no report either. He remembered again the words from Albert Schweitzer, "the hardest thing a young man can be asked to do is to wait". It was so true. The three Voyagers who had gone together on this rescue mission had been gone for four days. There had been no word on their status, so no one knew about any injuries, though they did know from the Omni Scanner that they had all returned alive. Still, Jeff would be very glad when he saw Bogg again and knew he was okay.

He sighed and finally sat down with Susan to finish waiting.

Finally the door opened and a voice said "okay, one visitor can come in."

Susan remained seated as Jeff rushed through the door and scanned the room. He saw Bogg sitting with the 2 others but he stood up when he saw Jeff and Jeff ran to him, jumping into his outstretched arms. He felt Bogg's arms wrap around him, holding him a bit more tightly and for a bit longer than usual.

"I missed you," Phineas said and Jeff heard his voice catch.

After Bogg put him down, Jeff stepped back so he could see him better. "Are you okay?" he asked, a serious tone to his voice.

Bogg nodded, "yeah."

One of the medical workers approached them, "Voyager Bogg, you'll be in room 101, he said."

"Why can't he come back to the apartment?" Jeff asked in confusion.

"He'll be released when he's ready. You can visit him tomorrow."

"I'm not leaving," Jeff said immediately.

The worker turned to Bogg, "it might not be a good idea for him to stay."

Phineas closed his eyes, the idea of making another decision almost overwhelmed him. "I want him to stay," he said finally.

Jeffrey looked from the doctor to Bogg and realized something serious was going on.

"It wouldn't be a good idea for him to stay," the doctor repeated, this time in more forceful language.

"Being separated will be worse. Besides, I'm not as bad off as you think," Bogg answered.

Jeff put his hand on Bogg's arm. He appreciated Bogg's confidence in his ability to cope with whatever this was.

"What's wrong with him? Why do you say that?" he asked the doctor.

"It was a very upsetting voyage," the doctor explained.

"But Bogg's seen a lot of bad stuff, he's been a Voyager for a long time. What was so special about this?" Jeff asked.

"I'll explain it to him, doc, go finish up," Bogg said. But as Jeff turned, expecting an explanation, Bogg stood up. "Come on kid, let's find the room."


	13. Something Normal

Chapter 13 **Something Normal**

So they went to the room. It was more like a hotel room than a hospital room and Phineas sat down at the table, staring strait ahead. Jeff sat beside him and as he was about to speak, noticed him shaking. He paused, considering what to say. He had never done that before, usually he just blurted out whatever was going through is overactive mind.

"What can I do to help?" he asked, then waited.

Phineas took a deep breath, "I think I'll just lie down," he said and moved to the couch. As he stretched out he thought it would help if Jeff had something to do. "Can you get me a blanket?"

Jeffrey immediately went to the bed and brought back a quilt. He stood uncertainly next to the couch, staring at Bogg and realized their roles had changed in some subtle way. Usually, Bogg cared for him, now Bogg needed to be cared for. Whatever had happened to him had left him in need somehow, or ill, Jeff didn't know which, but he was very glad Bogg had said he could stay. He had been right, it would be worse to be apart. He thought about what Bogg might do for him if their situations were reversed. Then he unfolded the quilt and spread it over his friend.

"Is there anything else I can do?" Jeff asked when he'd finished.

Bogg had been laying on his side, staring out into the room, and didn't realize that Jeff had already covered him with the quilt. He felt warmer and more comfortable, and looked at Jeff and smiled. The kid looked worried.

"I'll let you know," he said, "thanks for the quilt."

"Just tell me anything else you want," Jeff said immediately.

"Don't look so worried, I'm okay," Bogg said. Then, "I just need to think about something normal," he paused, "what have you been up to while I've been gone?" he asked.

Jeff looked at him, maybe he did need some distraction, he thought. So he started to talk.

Phineas watched and listened to Jeffrey talk about the classes he'd been able to attend with the other kids, and with the Voyager Trainees during the past 4 days. Jeff was excited about starting to learn algebra and more details about the omni and Phineas was glad to focus on something besides the mission. As he listened, he began to feel better.

He sat up as Jeff started talking about the third class he'd attended. "I always liked that too," he added when Jeff explained how he'd been able to take apart and put together a harrow. "You know, those kids are probably so jealous of you, they can't go to the Academy until they're 17 you know," Bogg told him.

Jeff was relieved to see Bogg sitting up, and smiled. He moved over beside him on the couch and finished the story as Bogg put his arm around Jeff's shoulder. But Jeff's relief was tempered with concern when he felt Bogg's hand on his shoulder, he was still shaking a bit.

Jeffrey was dying to know what had happened on this mission, but now that Bogg looked so much better, he was afraid to bring it up again and remind him of anything bad.

Dr. Johnson arrived about an hour later and was pleased to see Phineas in such good condition. He had been very concerned about the members of the Rescue Team, and the other two were having a great many problems, but Phineas Bogg seemed to be recovering fine. Perhaps there was something he needed in the company of the boy. The others were alone, except for the hospital workers who were monitoring them.

It was true, he thought, there was nothing quite the same as having someone close by who truly cared about you. He was surprised the boy was holding up as well as he was. "Have you told him anything about the mission?" the doctor asked Bogg, nodding his head toward Jeffrey.

"Not yet, maybe tomorrow," he said. Both of them were acutely aware that Jeff could hear what they said.

The doctor nodded, "well, I guess that's your choice. He's holding up well."

"He'll be fine, like I said, being separated would be worse," Bogg repeated.

"Now I want both of you to listen to me," the doctor said sternly.

Jeff immediately turned and gave the doctor his full attention.

"I'm leaving this medicine," he began, handing a small container to Jeffrey, and addressing Phineas, "it will help you sleep tonight..."

"I don't need," Phineas began.

"Yes! You do," the doctor interrupted him. Then he turned to Jeffrey. "It's critical that he gets a good nights sleep, so you make him take one of those pills, okay?"

Jeff nodded, "I will."

"Starting tomorrow, you can deal with this in your own way, but for tonight, what I say goes, understand?" he said directly to Bogg.

Phineas paused and stared at Jeffrey's worried face, "okay," he answered.

The doctor turned back to Jeff, "this is very strong, so make sure you're close by so you can get him anything he needs, he might not be able to stand up or walk very well for 6 hours or so after he takes it."

"Okay," Jeff said worriedly.

"Have someone close by in case Jeff needs something," Bogg said.

"They'll be right outside the door."

Jeff nodded again.

"I'll check back in tomorrow," the doctor said as he got up and left.

Phineas looked at Jeff and smiled, "it's okay, I'm fine...really," he nodded when Jeff's expression didn't change.

"What can I do to help?" Jeff asked again. It was the only thing he could think of to say.

"Let's do something normal," Phineas began, anxious to take his mind off the mission. "How about teaching me that card game you were talking about before I left?"

"Gin? Okay," Jeff answered. It didn't sound like much, but it was what Bogg wanted, so he'd teach him.

They spent the evening with Jeff teaching Phineas the game and then playing it as well as a variation of it called 500. After a somewhat stiff beginning, with Phineas a bit distracted, they settled in and enjoyed themselves. At ten o'clock, Phineas walked into the bathroom and then got into bed and took the medicine from Jeff.

"You know, I played a game like that in Brazil once," Phineas said as he leaned back on the pillow.

"How many goats did you win?" Jeff asked smiling, remembering Bogg telling him about winning 12 goats playing a game similar to poker, called Schnibbits

"No, people didn't gamble on the game, they just played it to pass the time."

"What were you waiting for?" Jeff asked.

"Someone to die," Phineas said quietly.

Jeff sat in silence, not knowing what to say.

"Thanks," Phineas said after awhile.

"I didn't do anything," Jeff answered him, feeling his assistance hadn't been very much help.

"Just knowing you care has helped," Phineas whispered.

Jeff leaned down and gave him a hug. There was time enough tomorrow to find out what had happened on the mission. "G'night," he said sitting back up and watching his friend.

Phineas smiled at Jeff and felt his eyelids get very heavy, he was soon asleep.


	14. A Voyager's Burden

Chapter 14 **The Confession**

The next day, Phineas awoke first. He walked across the room and glanced down at Jeffrey as he slept on a cot. Just looking at him made his heart feel lighter. He couldn't think of another person in the world who would care about him like Jeff did. They were a family now, but he wondered what Jeff would think of him when he heard the story. Would he still think he was a good person? Suddenly Phineas realized how much he cared what Jeffrey thought of him. He took a deep breath. Well, what happened, had happened and he couldn't do anything about it. Jeff had to know eventually and it would be better if he told him sooner, rather than later. Phineas would deal with this like he dealt with everything, head on and then put it behind him. He got up and walked into the kitchen. When he realized how well stocked the kitchen was, he decided to make breakfast.

Jeff stretched and opened his eyes. He smelled bacon frying. He lay in bed and stretched again, then suddenly remembered where he was, and why. He looked over and saw that the other bed was empty, so he got up and walked into the kitchen.

"Morning," Phineas said as he entered.

"Morning," Jeff answered. "It smells so good it woke me up."

"It's just about ready," Bogg told him.

They were quiet as they ate together, Bogg was distracted trying to decide how to explain his situation to Jeffrey in a way so that Jeff wouldn't think too badly of him. He felt fine, but knew his hands were still shaking and that Jeffrey wouldn't miss that detail. He also knew from past experience that talking about it was likely to be difficult, so he made the decision to lie down as he told the story to Jeff.

When they were done, he led Jeff into the living area and stretched out on the couch.

"I guess I should tell you about the mission," he began, but then he paused.

"If you want to wait, it's okay," Jeff said, thinking that avoiding it, whatever it was, was so much easier than facing it.

"No, it'll only be worse. It's best to get these things out as soon as you can. Then maybe my hands will stop shaking," he said, acknowledging the obvious. "Keeping things like this inside makes them harder to deal with." He paused, "it's just that," he paused again and Jeff settled onto a stool beside the couch and waited.

"I've got time," Jeff told him.

Phineas smiled, Jeff sometimes seemed much older than his 12 years, perhaps because he'd been through such emotional trauma himself. He took a deep breath and began. "This was one of the hardest missions I've ever been on, maybe the worst. The suffering was... incredible."

"We were on board the Titanic, over a thousand people died Bogg, how many people are you talking about?" Jeff asked, afraid of what the answer would be.

"One," Phineas whispered, not trusting his voice to speak any louder. Just saying that one word put tears in his eyes.

"Only one?" Jeff asked confused.

"Never use the word only when you're talking about this stuff," Bogg answered in an unsteady voice.

Jeff stared at him and suddenly leaned forward and hugged him tightly. He felt like crying himself and he didn't even know what had happened. Phineas put his arms around Jeff, taking comfort from his closeness. He wondered if Jeff would still want to hug him after he found out what he had done. He steeled himself to say the words.

"I want to tell you what happened," he began, and Jeff sat back and waited. "I saved a kid's life," he had decided to say that part first, it was easier that way.

"But that's a good thing, isn't it?' Jeff asked, still confused.

"I don't want you to hate me," he admitted and reached up to wipe his eyes.

"I could never hate you," Jeff whispered.

"Maybe you will when I tell you the rest."

"But how could saving a kid's life be a bad thing?" Jeff asked.

Phineas paused, "there were two."

"Two what?" Jeff still wasn't following his friend's train of thought.

"Two kids," Phineas said after clearing his throat. Now that the words were out, he felt a bit stronger.

Jeff's jaw dropped open as the enormity of that statement washed over him. The silence that followed was all consuming. He didn't know what to say.

"She was screaming," he paused and cleared his throat, "pleading with me... not to leave her." He looked away from Jeff to gather the strength he would need to finish. "She was about nine I think. I can hear her voice so clear. I left her to be murdered." Tears filled Phineas' eyes again and this time he let them fall, he didn't care about anything but his confession.

Jeff sat beside him in shock. Seeing Bogg this upset was very hard for him. He had always realized that a Voyager had to sometimes do difficult things. That history could be very cruel, but he'd never imagined the grief and suffering a Voyager experienced on a very difficult assignment. His insides felt like they were tied up in a knot. He wanted to ease some of Bogg's suffering.

"You don't have to stay with me, I'll understand if you don't want to stay with a murderer," Bogg said. He knew he was forcing Jeff to make a decision about this because he needed to know what the kid thought of him. If Jeff thought he was a horrible monster, Bogg doubted he would ever fully recover. On some level, he knew he needed to hear Jeff say that he was still a good person. Jeff's opinion mattered, Phineas realized, more than he'd ever thought it could.

"There was nothing you could do," Jeff whispered. It was all he could think of to say.

Phineas finally got up the courage to look Jeff in the eye.

"I killed that little girl," he repeated.

"You saved a kid that would've died! You set history right," Jeff shouted, "that's what you did. You're the best person I've ever met. It was a horrible situation and you had no choice." There was another long silence. Phineas wiped his eyes again.

"I was worried that you'd think I was... a monster."

Jeff leaned onto Bogg's chest and hugged him tightly, "It's not your fault." Jeff told him as Phineas' arms encircled him again.

Phineas felt such a sense of relief that he couldn't believe it. He was both emotionally and physically exhausted and yet relief flooded through him. Jeff still wanted to be with him, still thought he was a good person, even after Phineas had told him everything. He'd done his duty as a mentor, explaining to Jeff what had really happened, even though it had been very hard to do, and Jeff was still here, hugging him tightly. God, he loved this kid.

Jeff sat back and looked at Phineas uncertainly, "can I get you anything?" he asked.

Bogg smiled and chuckled, "I think you've done more than I thought was possible already."

"Well, you know I am pretty smart," Jeff returned, also smiling.

"Yeah, and you know what smart kids give me, don't you?" the comment just spilled out.

Jeff laughed, "you know, being smart is not a bad thing."

Phineas sighed, "you know, at the moment, I don't feel too bad, considering."

"After you rest, I'll beat you at Gin," Jeff answered.


	15. Recovery

Chapter 15 **Recovery**

So Phineas rested on the couch while Jeff read a book he'd brought with him from the library last evening. Dr. Johnson arrived at 11 AM and Jeff moved into the hall so the doctor could talk to Bogg in private. Susan found him there shortly after 11 o'clock.

"So, how are you doing?" she asked sitting in a chair beside him.

"Good," Jeff said smiling.

"How's Phineas?" Susan asked worriedly.

"He'll be fine," Jeff said without hesitation.

"This came for you," she continued, handing him an envelope, it was from the Tribunal.

Jeff took it and stared at the outside. "Maybe we should open it together," he said to himself and stuffed it in his pocket.

"Something else too, it's from Tiffany, they wouldn't let her in to deliver it herself and she heard you were here," Susan said handing him another, smaller envelope.

Jeff's eyes opened wide. He tore it open and read it. "There's a big dance tomorrow night?" he asked.

"Sure is, why?" Susan asked, but she already knew the contents of the note.

"She wants me to go with her," Jeff said in a terrified voice.

"I can give her your answer if you want me to," Susan offered.

Jeff froze, then his voice was answering before his brain had thoroughly processed what had happened.

"Tell her I'd like to go with her," he heard himself say.

Suddenly the door opened and Dr. Johnson came into the hall. Jeff jumped up and faced him, "he's okay, isn't he?" he asked. His book had fallen to the floor and Susan stooped to get it. He took it even as his eyes scanned the doctor's face.

Dr. Johnson smiled, "I don't know what magic you've got young man, but my other patients could use some. He's doing much better than expected. I'll keep him one more day, just to be sure. He told you about what he had to do?"

"Yeah," Jeff answered seriously.

"It's good to talk about those things," Dr. Johnson said.

"Bogg said the same thing," Jeff told him.

"He's lucky he had someone to listen."

"But, anybody can listen, I hardly did anything for him," Jeff admitted.

"Well forgiveness and acceptance has to come from someone you care about, as well as from yourself," the doctor explained. He doubted Jeffrey understood it all, but he obviously understood enough.

"Can I go back in?"

"Sure, what're you reading?" Dr. Johnson asked and Jeff showed him the cover of the book. "Captain's Courageous, I love that story, you're smart to have something to do. He'll probably be resting more than usual for the next few days."

Jeff nodded and turned to Susan, "do you want to write him a note?" he asked innocently.

"Just tell him I'll be here when he wants to see me, and I'll save a dance for him," she said smiling.


	16. Catching Up

Chapter 16 **Catching Up**

Jeff entered and was glad to see Phineas sitting up at the table. "Look what was just delivered," he said handing him the note from the Tribunal.

Phineas stared at it, much like Jeff had. "Well, why don't you open it," he finally said and Jeff tore the envelope and opened the letter. He held it out in front of them both, and suddenly smiled.

"Petition granted," Jeff whispered and Phineas pulled him into a big hug. When they separated, Jeff continued, "this is so strange, all of a sudden, you're my Dad," he smiled broadly, unable to contain his happiness.

"I know," Phineas too had a big grin on his face. "And I promise to be the best father I can be."

"Now that you mention it," Jeff pulled the note from Tiffany out of his pocket, and another smaller paper also fell out. "Wow, I've got three, no four things to talk to you about," he said quickly, then paused and his expression became serious. "Do you need to rest first, because I can wait," he finished.

Phineas smiled at Jeff's enthusiasm, "anything you want to tell me is good," he said.

"Okay, well first there's this," and he handed Phineas the slip of paper that had just fallen out of his pocket.

Bogg opened it and read aloud, April 24th, what happened then?" he asked, confused.

"It's your birthday, Bogg," Jeff said excitedly.

"But how do you know?" Phineas asked in disbelief.

"I looked up growing seasons in England and temperatures for different years, and records of rainfall from tree rings, and when the full moons were, and the library here is fantastic, did you know that?" Jeff talked excitedly and then paused when he asked the question. When Phineas didn't answer, he continued, "anyway, this is my best estimate of your birthday. I think this is when the first full moon of the spring planting season was in 1610. So this is going to be your official birthday from now on. I just wanted to let you know."

Phineas shook his head smiling and finally laughed, "thanks kid," he said looking at the date again.

"The second thing is, I know you probably don't like to read very much, but this book" he held up Captains Courageous, is a really good story that I think you'd like. It's not about pirates, but it is about the sea. It's about a fishing vessel, and a rich kid who falls off a huge ship and gets picked up by this fishing trawler, and he has to work on it like a normal person." Jeff hesitated, "well, if you want a story to keep your mind off things, I think you'd like it."

Phineas was touched, "I'll take a look at it, thanks."

"And Susan was just outside and said to tell you she wants to see you when you're ready and she'll save a dance for you."

"A dance?" Phineas asked trying to keep up.

"Yeah, and that brings me to the worst, or best thing," Jeff began and his tone got quieter as he pulled out Tiffany's note. "I do have something I need your help with," he began.


	17. Healing

Chapter 17 **Healing**

"I feel like I know you so well already, it's nice to finally meet you," said Jack Ambrose, the psychologist assigned to evaluate Phineas for discharge.

Phineas sat across from him in the small office. "Why do you feel like you know me?" he asked.

"I did Jeffrey's evaluation for the adoption," Jack answered.

Phineas nodded, "oh."

"Here's a copy of my report, now that you are officially his parent, you should have this."

Phineas took the envelope and put it in his pocket, "how's he doing?" he asked.

"He scored a 60 on the Bereavement Scale," Ambrose replied. "What's wrong?" he asked quickly when Bogg's expression became serious.

"Is there anything I can do to help him?" Bogg asked worriedly.

Ambrose stared at him, "nothing more than you're doing already, why?"

"It's such a low score," Bogg answered.

Ambrose shook his head, suddenly understanding. "It's not 60 out of 100, it's 60 out of 60. He's doing great."

Bogg's jaw dropped, "he can't be, he cries and talks about his parents whenever something reminds him of them. He's not over this, he saw his parents unconscious and trapped and couldn't rescue them. He can't be over it, there's gotta be something wrong with your score, it's too good."

Jack Ambrose smiled, "what the score means is that he's dealing with it in the best way possible. That he is able to talk about how he feels with someone he trusts, that's you by the way. He's doing the work of grieving, and you're right, it's not done, but he can also laugh and enjoy himself sometimes, he's not angry, and he connects with people. All critical components of successful grieving."

Phineas sat thinking, "so you're saying he's doing okay, considering?"

"Better than okay, but yes, that's what I'm saying."

"Good."

"By the way, I heard about the hard time they gave you at the hearing. I wanted to tell you that I was prepared to go to the Tribunal myself if they didn't grant the adoption."

"Thanks," Phineas said.

"Now, as for you, how are you getting along after this mission?"

"Well, it's just like when Jeffrey needs to talk about his parents, you have to deal with your feelings. If you don't, you won't get over things like this," Bogg told him. "So, I'm working on it."

"Since you were gone for the 4 days of the mission, I'm extending your time here by at least 4 days. It only seems fair. We'll talk again after Convergence is over."

"That sounds fair," Phineas replied. "You should come to the ceremony, we're recording the adoption."

"I figured as much, I'll be there."


	18. Convergence

**Chapter 18 Convergence**

Phineas and Jeffrey walked into the large dining room again.

They saw Susan at the same time and started walking toward her. She had saved seats for them, as promised. Jeff saw her put her hand on Bogg's arm as he sat down. Jeffrey had also stayed very close to Bogg today, both of them knew it was his first full day out of the medical unit.

"Hey, Jeff," Tiffany whispered, "come here."

Jeff glanced over at her, she was sitting at a table with several other kids he'd gotten to know in school. He looked back at Bogg, uncertain about whether he should go, but Bogg was staring at him.

"Stop being a mother hen and go," Bogg told him sternly.

Jeff grinned and left to sit with Tiffany.

"What?" Bogg asked Susan when he turned back to see her broad smile.

"It's just so sweet, the way he wants to take care of you," she said.

Phineas smiled, "I know." He paused, "it took some getting used to, but, now I don't know what I'd do without him."

"When you were on the mission, a part of him was always worried. If he was busy, it didn't always show, but as soon as things calmed down, he'd get very quiet, like he was distracted, inside himself."

"He told me everything you did for him," Bogg's voice was sincere, "there's no way I can thank you enough," he whispered.

Susan smiled, "you know, you aren't the only person who's grown to love Jeffrey. I was glad to take care of him."

Phineas sat back and sighed. He looked over at Jeff and saw him talking and laughing with the group. He suddenly felt that things would be okay. He had told Susan about the mission, and she had reacted much the same way as Jeffrey had. And last night it had been easier to sleep than the night before.

They had a quiet dinner, despite the boisterous crowd in the room, and when it was over, Jeff came back to sit with him. He had explained what would happen during the Gathering so Jeff would know his part.

The room quieted and the lights dimmed, except on the stage in the center of the room as the Gathering was called to order.

The youngest Voyager, which was Jeffrey, was expected on stage without fanfare, to pull the rope attached to the high tower and ring the bell as the oldest Voyager in the room recited the names of those who had died since the last Convergence. Phineas watched Jeffrey walk solemnly to the rope and begin pulling on it when he was given the signal. He gave it several hard pulls, before the first chime sounded and then the names were spoken.

As the last name was read, Jeff stopped his work and silence fell in the room.

When the Councilor nodded to him, he walked back to Phineas.

"Great job," Bogg whispered, and as Jeff sat beside him, he put his hand on his shoulder. Jeff looked up at him gave him a quick hug when he realized Bogg's hand wasn't shaking.

"We have some Joys to celebrate," the Councilor began. "Since our last Convergence, there has been one marriage, one birth and one adoption. Will those Voyagers please come forward."

Jeffrey and Phineas stood up and went to the waiting area beside the stage.

Jeff watched as a not-so-young couple were motioned up onto the stage and the Councilor began, "John Watson and Eve Trimble were married one year ago, in Athens, Greece, 1712 AD, do you John, testify before this assembly that you have entered into this relationship freely?"

Jeffrey watched and listened as both of them said they did.

"Then, your union will be recognized in this assembly for all time," the Councilor finished. Next, Jeff watched as the couple each signed their names in a thick book that lay open on a nearby table, and walked off the stage.

A young couple, the husband holding a baby, was next on stage. They told the gathering the child's name and also wrote it in the book.

Suddenly, Bogg was nudging Jeffrey to climb the steps too. As they stood on stage, he got his first look at the members of the Gathering. There must have been a thousand people, of all ages in this room, watching them.

"Jeffrey Jones," the Councilor began. "You have been a trusted partner to Voyager Phineas Bogg. Do you wish to be considered a Voyager?"

"Yes," Jeff said clearly.

"Do you freely enter our Gathering as a Voyager?"

"Yes," Jeff answered again.

The Councilor held a pen out to him and he wrote his name in the book.

Then the Councilor turned to Bogg. "Do you Phineas Bogg, wish to testify before this assembly that you have adopted Jeffrey Jones, and that you are entering into this relationship freely?"

"Yes," Phineas said.

"Jeffrey Jones, do you testify before this assembly that you are entering into this adoption freely?"

"Yes," Jeff said immediately.

"Then, this adoption will be recognized in this assembly for all time." As he finished speaking, he handed a pen to Phineas, who leaned over the book and wrote his name.

After he finished, he handed the pen to Jeffrey, who signed the book for the second time, and they walked off the stage together.

"Wow!" Jeff exclaimed when they were far enough away from the stage so as not to be heard, "that was incredible!"

"I know," Phineas answered, "I haven't been that nervous since I first signed the book after graduating from the Academy."

As they continued on, back to their seats, Jeffrey looked around. Suddenly he felt different, changed somehow. This was a community, his community. All these people, even the ones he didn't know, were part of it. They all understood what being a Voyager meant. Acknowledging the adoption here, gave him a strange, powerful feeling, one of belonging.

"Congratulations," Susan's words snapped him out of his thoughts and he smiled. There were crowds of people around them, all wanting to shake both his and Phineas' hands and congratulate them. After a few minutes, the crowd thinned and they were able to sit down.

"So Jeff," the voice was familiar, and he saw Tom Paine sit down beside him. "Now that you and Phineas are family, there might be some things you'd like to know about him. Go ahead, ask me anything," he said with a conspiratorial smile.

Jeff shrugged, "I think I know everything about him that I need to."

"Ha!" Phineas laughed, "tough luck Tom, but I don't have any secrets from Jeff."

"How about what I like to call, 'The Sailboat Incident'."

Suddenly there was silence. "Now that's not fair, Tom," Phineas said.

"I really think a kid should know at least one good story about his father, don't you Susan?" Tom asked.

Jeff looked from Bogg to Tom and back. He couldn't tell if Tom was kidding or not, but Bogg didn't seem too upset.

"Maybe when he's older," Susan answered, glancing at Jeff, who thought she looked slightly concerned.

Maybe if he wasn't here, Jeff thought to himself, Tom would drop this topic. So Jeff made a strategic decision. "Dad," he began, and Phineas looked at him quickly and smiled, "is it okay if I go talk to Tiffany?"

"Yeah, the dance will start soon, so don't go too far."

"Just let me know when you want to leave," Jeff said as he headed for Tiffany's table again.

The music began a short time later, and Susan and Phineas shared every dance. But they were both surprised to see that every time they glanced at Jeffrey, he seemed to be dancing with a different girl.

"He's just like his Dad," Phineas' remark earned him a playful swat from Susan. "Just like he used to be, I mean," he corrected himself.

Susan sighed to herself and decided to show him just how well she had gotten to know Jeffrey while Phineas was on the rescue mission. "Smart Field Workers give me a pain," she said and Phineas laughed out loud.

The End


End file.
